Pinch-hitter Kevin Pillar’s late homer pushed the Braves past the Orioles 5-4 Saturday at Truist Park.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Pillar will always remember his 100th career homer. Pillar, pinch-hitting in the eighth, smashed a go-ahead two-run homer off Danny Coulombe that proved to be the game winner.
“I feel like I wasn’t trying to do too much,” Pillar said. “I was prepared. I trust my preparation. I trust the work I put in today.”
Manager Brian Snitker: “The guy is always ready. I looked down in the dugout, he already had his coat off. He’s a baseball guy. He can sense situations and get himself ready. He’s always ready. … He’s been awesome to have, just the professionalism, how he stays ready. He’s done really well for us.”
That’s why Pillar quickly endeared himself to the Braves. He’s on his seventh team during an 11-year career. His experience, preparation and gracious personality has made him a highly respected role player throughout MLB. Even during spring training, when he was far from a lock to make the roster, Snitker constantly raved about Pillar.
He’s hitting .274 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 20 games (62 at-bats) for the Braves.
“Terrific teammate, just personifies baseball to me,” Braves starter Spencer Strider said. “Watches the game when he’s not playing. Smart player. He’s experienced, and that has a lot to do with it. Great attitude. Really glad he’s with us and when he gets his opportunities, you know he’s going to lay it on the line, whether it’s at the plate or in the field. He came up big for us today.”
2. A pinch-hitting role isn’t easy. Entering the night, Pillar was hitting only .192 with one homer as a pinch-hitter in his career. But as time has passed, he’s opted to accept this responsibility and the challenges – and rewards – that come with it.
“Coming into this season, the conversations with (president of baseball operations) Alex (Anthopoulos) over the offseason about what I wanted to get out of the last couple years of my career, I told them that I’m ready for this role, I’m ready to embrace it,” said Pillar, who debuted for the Blue Jays when Anthopoulos was their general manager. “I say those things, I still want to play every day. But I’m also in a position, maturity wise, to understand that I have a role; that there are players on this team that are every-day players. I play when they ask me to play. I prepare myself for opportunities.
“But I’m at peace with where I’m at in my career. If it ended today with 100 (homers), I’d be happy. But I still feel like I have a lot to offer. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself through struggles in this game and I think for the first time in a couple years, I’m not concerned about statistics, the end goal. I’m just at peace with where I’m at. I think that’s why I’m playing well. I play every day, as cliché as it is, like it could be my last. … I’m not getting any younger, and this is just an unbelievable environment to come to work. We’re all about winning here and I just want to be a piece of it, whatever they ask me to do.”
3. Vaughn Grissom’s defense proved troublesome again in the sixth and almost cost his team the game. He botched a routine grounder that helped the Orioles produce the go-ahead run. It was Grissom’s sixth error in 19 games. For context, Dansby Swanson, the Braves’ former Gold Glove shortstop, committed eight errors in 161 games last season.
The Braves just promoted shortstop Braden Shewmake, regarded as the superior defender, and while they’ve said they’ll play the matchups with Grissom and Shewmake, there’s a case for the team to roll with Shewmake regularly until Orlando Arcia returns from injury.
Asked whether the Braves would stay committed to their plan of playing both shortstops, Snitker responded: “I’m just going to take that as a day-to-day thing. Look at the whole picture before I decide what I want to do.” Snitker acknowledged Grissom is likely pressing some as he tries to establish himself.
4. Closer Raisel Iglesias made his season debut, throwing 13 pitches (10 strikes) and striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to record his first save. Iglesias had been stalled by shoulder inflammation since late in spring training. Now, the Braves’ bullpen benefits greatly from his return. He had a 0.34 ERA in 28 appearances for the team last season.
“When he’s right, he’s ridiculous,” Strider said of Iglesias. “His stuff is unbelievable. He’s a legit competitor and we’re a much better team with him in the bullpen.”
5. In other happenings, outfielder Michael Harris returned after a two-game absence due to a jammed knee. He went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Marcell Ozuna continued showing life at the plate, hitting his fourth homer in four games.
Strider navigated traffic but held the Orioles to two runs over five innings. He struck out 10 without issuing a walk. It was his eighth career double-digit strikeout performance. It was also his 11th consecutive start striking out eight or more.
Stat to know
2 -- Pillar has two pinch-hit homers in his career, the other coming for the Mets against the Phillies’ Ranger Suarez in June 2021.
Quotable
“I couldn’t have drawn it up any better than how that happened. … I know 100 (home runs) is kind of insignificant to a lot of people, when you think about the greats and what they did. But for a kid who was drafted 32nd round and never thought he would be in the big leagues 10 years later, to have 100 homers – I’ve never been a home run guy – it just speaks to some consistency and the ability to stay on the field, accumulate enough at-bats and maybe come into a little power as I got older.” – Pillar
Up next
The Braves will start Bryce Elder (3-0, 1.75 ERA) against Orioles righty Tyler Wells (2-1, 3.34) in the series finale Sunday, which will begin at 11:35 a.m. and air on NBC/Peacock.
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